White papers, when done right, are some of the most powerful tools in sales. They go further than nearly any other medium for driving conversions. Not every product warrants a white paper, but the ones that do benefit from them tremendously.
Every great white paper contains these elements:
1. Clearly Defined Goals
The vast majority of successful white papers have goals that go beyond things like generating leads or building brand awareness. Those goals are nebulous. They don’t zero in on the right things – things like who target readers are, their background, their existing knowledge of the product or niche.
Is your audience familiar with the language of the industry or will you have to start at a more civilian level and work your way up? If you lose your audience on the first page, it’s all over. In short, your goals need to zero in every bit as much on the “who” as they do on the “what.”
2. A Pointed Summary
Your summary needs to be concise. It needs to leave the readers wanting more. If you can’t hook them with your summary, you’ve lost your opportunity. If, however, you pique their interest right away, they will keep reading. It’s a statistical certainty.
White papers are several steps above any other kind of ad copy. They are much more detailed than a blog post and much less emotional than a long-form or video sales letter. The trick here is to find the right balance. The summary should have a blog-like feel with the right level of emotional language, rounded out with some kind of evidence that you are an authority on your product or service.
3. Verifiable Data
If you have taken the time to develop original data, share it. There is a great deal of benefit to being able to show your readers not only that you are an expert, but that you are involved in the processes outlined in your paper.
If, however, you are gathering data from other sources, be certain to cite your sources and relate the information directly back to your product. Even if the data reveals something unfavorable about the product, you have the chance to show how your own research is either addressing the issue or how you have managed to circumvent it.
4. Opinions to Back up Data
Moreover, the data you present needs to be contextual. You might consider reaching out to thought leaders in your industry and getting their opinions on the topic of your paper. If this isn’t feasible due to time or resources, add some of your own opinions. Source some quotes that either corroborate or explain your position. Remember: A solid white paper finds the perfect balance between hard data and thoughts and ideas surrounding it.
Case studies conducted by peers or clients are great additions to any white paper. They verify the information in your paper as being observable and lend credibility to it.
5. A Sense of Flow
Your white paper needs to flow well and appeal to its target audience. Share your paper with people you trust and get some feedback on the overall structure and flow of the message. Get some honest opinions on the structure of the paper. Look at it with scrutiny (I guarantee your readers will do the same), and be prepared to make changes.
If you are working with a copywriting company or custom writing service, be sure the writers understands that there will likely be multiple revisions and agree on a price for the entire project, not just a per-word rate. The right company (and writers) understand that developing a white paper is a process, not a one-shot deal. This is where I caution you to never run with a first draft. Always be sure you’ve gotten some good feedback or have had the time to step away and look at the paper with a fresh set of eyes before deciding it’s right.
6. Compelling Visuals
Your visuals need to have a sense of flow as well. If they appear to be random, you message will, too. If they appear disorganized or out of sync, the entire paper will take on that air. Your job is to create a consistent and easy-to-understand visual interpretation of your data.
Many people are visual learners. That means they use the text to supplement the visuals, not the other way around. You need a good hook with the visuals, especially if your paper is heavy with figures and statistics.
7. Selling of the Idea
Charts, graphs, statistics, and quotes are great, but they do nothing for you if your paper has no “why” factor. Why is the information in your paper important? What about your paper sets you apart from the rest of your industry? What will having this information do for the reader? Your paper needs to take the facts and figures and give them meaning. That is what is going to capture readers and get them to take you seriously.
8. A Well-Organized Launch Plan
The release of a white paper should be handled in much the same way as a product launch. Quietly introducing your paper to a small contingency of readers is not effective, but many companies do just that. If your paper is worth reading, it’s worth developing a PR campaign to ensure it gets good reach.
Press releases to industry-relevant outlets are effective first steps, as are your social media channels and your email list. You might also think of reaching out to industry blogs and creating guest posts that tell your white paper’s back-story.
All of these elements work together to create the basic framework of a successful white paper. All that’s left for you to do is fill it with winning copy and other compelling content.